Fire protection outfit



1943- E. L. WHEELER 2,331,283

FIRE PROTECTION OUTFIT Filed Feb; 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z [am/v Z. M2225? @LMLE Oct.y12, 1943. E. WHEELER 2,331,283

Patented Oct. 12, 1 943 UNITED STATES V 2,331,283; FIRE mors m OUTFIT Edison L. wheeler, 'wfilm tt; In I Application February 1 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to fire protection outfits and more particularly to what may be known as a universal size, self-'adiusting, onepiece body garment; with a supplemental helmet and gloves, all'constructed of an asbestos mate rial, to provide a complete fire protection outfit adapted to be easily and rapidly donned and ad mirable for use in air raid fires and the like. The body garment of the outfit having fireproof shoes forming an integral part thereof is further improved by equipping the same with only agsins gle closure means and with I adjusting me'ans whereby the garment is. of lsubstantially a umersal size thereby eliminating vthe necessity of stocking up on a large variety of different sized arments. I, It is an object of this invention to provide a fire protection felled seam outfit of simple and effective construction including a combination body garment with integral shoes, said garment having only a single fastening means to facilitate convenient and rapid donning and removing of the outfit.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a simplifiedfire protection-outfit wherein a combination garment including. integral shoes is provided with adjustable means. at s,e1ected:;1,0cations to produce a universalsize garment adapted to be worn by people of different sizes. I It isia further objector .this invention toproe vide an asbestos fire protection raglan sleeved combination garment with integral shoes and provided with aSmgIes icIe i t n nm ans to simplify donning and removing of the garment.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide an improved andsimplified type of fire combating outfit including a one-fastenenraglan shouldered jumper suit having attached shoes with means Within the lower endof the suit to facilitate easy entrance of a persons ordinary shoes into the fire protecting shoes of the outfit.

Still another object of the invention is theprovision of a universal size fire protection outfit in-' cluding a one-fastener type of combination garment including shoes, separate fireproof gloves,

and a separate fire protection helmet including a fireproof lining and a glare-proof protecting screen covering a sightlens afiordin'g full vision and protection for the person wearing the outfit, It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved andsimplified fire protection outfit constructed or asbestos or other suitable material and including a unitary combinatiOnsuit having shoes integral therewith, said suit being adjustable at the waist, ankles, wrist 4, 1942; Serial N0.. 430,847

(CI. 2%81') a endof the sleeves, and at the neck portion, so that a stan'dardized size of'suit tor. garment may be provided'to take-care oflsubstantiallyflall nor.- mal sized persons; saidmutfit including in pthe combination a Qpair of removable asbestos gloves anda separate asbestos helmet .unit having a sight opening ithereinu which is closed by means of a lens-orwindowconstructed of mice orofther suitable material 1 and a lens protective coverin consisting. a-glare-proofscreenml. r f 7 Other and further. important :obj acts; .of rthis inventioncwillrbe apparent from; the disclosures in the specification and the accompanyin draw,-

1ngs H, i, 2's

- v The invention, inf. a: preferred .form, islillus trated' in thedrawings.arid:hereinafter more fully describedh. V nonthedrawings'zm,mo.. I Figure 1 ,is alfrontaperspective view: of an imas though section of' the outfit; i

laure an e largedtransverse detail sec- Wrist portion of the rme'nt when the glove is rering is a fragmentary detail sectional view g 1s -a-fragmentarydetailsectional view fiikeei gvl ifi'YtiY'@ fi .2 a illustrating cans connecting the jacket with the trouser 9f,. h m. sure i lei "e 6 arged sectional view ta ken proved. fire protection outfit embodyingst-heprin tigntakerr g sta n any-engin III-7111161" Figadjustable feature in the neck band of the garment.

As shown on the drawings:

The improved fire protection outfit is designed for use in combating fire and for use in rescue work and for other purposes in fires resulting from air raids orother disasters.

The fire protection felled seam outfit consists of a combination suit or garment, integral shoes, detachable or removable gloves, and a separate removable helmet, allof which are primarily constructed of asbestos material to insulate the wearer against intense heat and insure against burning when the outfit is used to work in or combat flames.

The main section or portion of the fire protection outfit comprises a combination asbestos suit or garment consisting of an upper garment and a lower garment connected to one another at the waist portion. The upper garment comprises a waist or jacket I provided with raglan shoulder portions 2 forming integral parts of sleeves 3. The wrist end of each of the sleeves 3 is bent over to form a hem 4. Engaged in the back half, or, if desired, in the front half of the hem 4 of each of the sleeves 3 is a metal coiled spring 5 the ends of which are rigidly secured by means of rivets 6 to the cufi or hem portion of the sleeve. As illustrated in Figure 3, the coiled spring 5 acts to gather or shir the portion of the sleeve cuff between the rivets 6, so that an adjustable cuff is provided on each of the jacket sleeves to make a substantially tight or close fit around the wrists of a person wearing the outfit.

The upper end of the back, front, and the raglan shoulders 2 of the jacket converge or terminate in a neckband or collar 1 which is of double thickness, as clearly illustrated in Figure 9. i Dis posed between the two layers of the material forming the collar 1 in the area above the back of the jacket is a coiled metal spring 8, the ends of which are secured to rivets 9 which are engaged through the two thicknesses of the material forming the collar 1. The coil spring 8 tends to gather the collar material between the rivets to gather or shir the material to form an adjustable collar which may readily fit around the neck of a wearer. By means of the adjustablecollar 1, it will be seen that the outfit at the neck portion is easily adjustable so that different sized necks can be readily accommodated or fitted.

The lower portion of the suit or garment comprises a pair of pants ill, the upper waist margin of which is permanently secured to the waist margin of the jacket l by a seam H, as illustrated in Figure 5. Stitched or otherwise rigidly secured around the waist portion of the suit or garment and covering the scam I l is a waist strip or belt I2. The belt l2 provides an opening l3 between the belt l2 and the waist margins of the jacket and the trousers. Engaged in the spaces l3 on both sides of the waist portion of the suit or garment over the hips, are coiled metal springs M. The springs l4 extend only through the side portions of the waist section, and said springs have the ends thereof'securedby means of rivets [5 through the two thicknesses of material forming the waistband of the garment, as illustrated in Figure 2. The two side springs M in the belt section of the garment act to shir the waist portion of the garment between the respective sets "of rivets, thereby providing an adjustable waist section for the garment permitting the garment to be worn by different sized persons and to provide a substantially tight or conforming fit around the waist of a wearer, thereby assisting in making a universal type garment to fit different sized people.

The improved suit or garment of the outfit is provided with only a single opening to facilitate donning or removing of the garment. The opening extends from the crotch portion of the trousers III upwardly through the waist section to the neck of the jacket portion of the garment. For the purpose of rapidly closing and opening the front opening in the garment, a slide fastener I6 is secured in place fastened to the opposite sides of the garment opening and extending from the crotch up to the neck of the garment. The slidefastener i6 is of astandard type and, of course, is provided with the usual slide tab (not shown) for facilitating opening and closing of the slide fastening unit. Secured by stitching or other suitable means to one side of the garment front opening is one longitudinal margin of a back flap or strip I"! to overlap the back of the slide fastener joint or connection when the front of the garment is closed. The slide fastener unit It is covered and protected on the front side by means of a front fiap or closure strip 18 which extends from the crotch up to the neck band of the garment.

The lower ends or ankle portions l9 of the trouser legs have rigidly secured thereto by means of the seams 20 fireproof shoes hereinafter more fully described.

Secured around the back half of each of the ankle portions [9 of the trouser legs is a strip of asbestos material 2| providing a space or opening 22 in which a coiled metal spring 23 is engaged. The ends of the coil spring 23 are fastened by means of rivets 24 which extend through the strip 2| and through the material forming the pants legs. The springs 23 in the ankle portions H) of the garment pants legs serve to gather or shir the rear portions of the ankle sections to form adjustable anklets, so that the ankle portions of the garment trousers may fit tightly or comfortably around the ankles of a person wearing the outfit. By providing the ankle portions of the trouser legs with the take-up means, the trouser legs may be made of a standard or universal length sufiicient for the average long legs and also permitting the same length of trouser legs to be used on people with shorter legs, since the extra length in the trouser legs may be taken up by the blousing of the legs due to the adjustable ankle fit of the angle sections of the trouser legs.

The adjustable ankle fit of the trouser legs furthermore serve as a means for holding the oversize shoes of the garment on the .tearers feet, thus making it easier for a person wearing the garment to navigate in the garment shoes without being annoyed by the tendency of the shoes to come off.

Each of the garment shoes comprises asbestos material top or upper section 25,, the lower marginal portion of which is bent over and rigidly secured by means of rivets 2'5 or other suitable means to the marginal portion of the sole section of the garment shoe. The shoes of the fire protection garment are more clearly defined as really being overshoes, since the person wearing one of the outfits usually keeps his regular shoes on when the outfit is donned. The sole section of each of the overshoes comprises a bottom chrome leather sole 21, an intermediate asbestos sole 28, and an inner or lining sole 29 constructed of chrome leather or other suitable material.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the sole rivets or fastening means 26 engage through the Various layers or soles forming the bottoms of the overshoes. Engaged through the bottom or outer shoe sole 2'! and through the intermediate sole 28 are a plurality of distributed steel studs or staples 30 toform an armored sole for the bottom of each of the overshoes. In order to facilitate the entrance of a persons regular shoes through the angle sections I9 of the garment trouser legs and into the overshoes of the garment, each ankle section I9 is provided with a guide lining 3i which extends from the upper portion of the ankle section down to the seam 20, as illustrated in Figure 6. The inner walls of the overshoe top 25 are also covered with an inner lining 32.

In addition to the combination fire protection garment with the attached overshoes, the outfit includes a pair of asbestos gloves 33 which are lined with a fireproofed lining or other selected material of a softer texture than the asbestos cloth out of which the outer portions of the gloves are constructed. The fireproof gloves may be of any selected construction and design depending upon the work which is to be done by a person wearing the outfit.

Also forming part of the outfit is a head protecting unit comprising a helmet constructed of asbestos material. The helmet comprises a head section 34, a neck portion 35, and a shoulder skirt 36. In order to protect the head and neck of a wearer of the helmet, the interior of the helmet is provided with a softer fireproofed lining 31. The fireproofed lining 3'! is, of course, also provided to protect the head of a wearer against having the helmet lining being set on fire by flames entering accidentally, if possible, through the bottom of the shoulder skirt 36of the helmet. In order to provide a clear vision for the person wearing the outfit, the helmet is provided with a front opening or window which is closed by a lens 38 constructed of mica or other suitable fireproof material permitting the person to see through the same. To protect the mica lens 38, a

protecting screen 39 covers the outer surface of the lens. The protecting screen 39 may be formed of brass or other suitable material. The screen, however, is painted or treated with a chemical to make the screen glare-proof, so that when the light from a fire hits the screen it will not reflect back into the helmet to blind the person wearing the helmet.

The jacket, trousers, and overshoes forming the main part of the fire protection outfit are respectively connected as hereinbefore described to form the combination universal fireproof garment or suit with only a single opening provided for the convenience of donning or removing the garment. The single opening is equipped with a slide fastener unit, so that the donning or removal of the combination garment may be speedily accomplished without requiring the fastening or closing of a number of fastening means. The gloves and helmet are provided as separate elements of the outfit for the reason that it often becomes necessary or is desirable for a person wearing the garment to remove only the gloves temporarily when work is to be done which cannot very conveniently be accomplished when wearing the stiff asbestos protecting gloves. For a similar reason, the helmet may be removed when the wearer desires to expose the head for some particular reason and still keep on the garment.

The universal size outfit afiords a'simplified form of fire protection outfit which obviates the necessity of stocking up sized outfits to fit different sized people.

In case it is desired to omit any one or more of the spring controlled shirring or gathering means at the wrist sections or in the neckband, this may be done leaving only the desired shirred sections.

The improved asbestos suit or garment with the overshoes rigidly attached or forming a part thereof is of the universal type having an automatically adjustable waist and neckband to take care of any normal sized person. The automatically adjustable cufi or wrist sections of the sleeves take care of varying sleeve lengths required for different sized persons, and the automatically adjustable ankle sections of the trouser legs take care of varying leg lengths. With the foregoing features in addition to the raglan shoulders, the garment allows full and comfortable fire-fighting freedom for the person wearing It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range. without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is therefore not the purpose tolimit the patent granted herein otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l.'A fire protection felled seam outfit constructed of a non-inflammable and heat resistant material, said outfit including a fireproof helmet, a fire-proofed lining therein, a protected sight lens in the helment, a pair of fireproof gloves, fireproofed linings in the gloves, a unitary combination garment including overshoes forming an integral part thereof, a single closure means for the garment to facilitate rapid and convenient donning and removal of the garment, spring type gathering means inthe garment for making the same a universal type garment for fitting different sized persons, and guide linings in the garment extending into the overshoes.

2. A fire protection outfit including in combination a universal size combination fireproof and felled seam garment including a jacket, trousers, and overshoes permanently connected together, guides formed in said trousers and extending into the overshoes, a pair of fireproof gloves includinga fireproof lining, and a fireproof helmetineluding a fireproofed lining, a mica sight lens, and a glare-proof protective screen covering said lens.

3. In a fire protection outfitincluding a fireproof helmet, a fireproof lining therein, afireproof sight lens in the helmet, a glare-proof screen covering the same, a pair of fireproof gloves, fireproof linings in the gloves, and a unitary felled seam combination fireproof garment including overshoes, a single slide fastener for the garment to facilitate rapid and convenient donning and removal of the garment, spring type gathering means in the neck, waist, wrist and ankle sections of the garment to make the same a universal type garment for fitting per sons of different sizes, and guide means in the ankle sections'of the garment and extending into the overshoes to facilitate entrance into the overshoes of the regular shoes of a person donning the garment.

EDISON L. WHEELER.

on a number of various 

